The year of the Guv

It's turning out to be a wonderful season for The Beautiful Game. For once the title races are real. All three major leagues - The Premiership, La Liga and Serie A - are going down to the wire. Man U vs Chelsea; Barca vs Real & Inter vs Roma all to be decided on the last day of the season. And, at least in England, it was decided in style. The pragmatists of Chelsea, who had to win by a single goal, winning 8:0 on the way to scoring 103 goals in the league and 140 in all competitions, with a game still to go.

So, clearly, we football fans are the clear winners. But not just us. The surprise winners, in an age in which football is dominated by 20-something-year-old-bling-adorning-Cristal-swinging-groopy-romping millionaires, were the old foxes - the wily managers.

Naturally, one has to mention Alex Ferguson, who's been doing his magic for a cool 36 years since taking charge of East Stirlingshire in 1974. After selling the world's biggest ego, letting go of the most industrious forward and losing an entire back 4 to injury, he still managed to get to within 1 point of the title. Relative youngster like Fabio Capello (1986), Guus Hiddink (1987) and Carlo Ancelotti (1995), with an average tenure of over 20 years, managed to weave egotistic cry-babies (the entire English squad, Ribery & Roben and Ashley Cole & Drogba respectively) into cohesive, winning teams. [I know, Drogba insisting on risking the title for a chance to win the Golden Boot doesn't really count, but still.]

But the biggest foxes of all are no doubt Harry Redknapp (1983) and Roy Hodgson (1976). The former taking a Portsmouth team to the Champions League. The latter taking a group of unknowns to the Europa League final, brushing aside football royalty like Juventus through a series of unlikely comebacks.

Naturally, with the praise of some comes the criticism of the other. Yes, I am talking about you Rafa! How the hell did he manage to take the same team that came 2nd last year and drop them to 7th as well as being knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages? God knows.

So, thank you so much old fellas for proving the game is still beautiful. Thanks for putting in place your overpaid disciples. Thanks for a great season. May the World Cup live up to the standard you set.

PS 400km down. 600km to go.